Auditorium structures



Oct. 3, 1961 G. OBATA AUDITORIUM STRUCTURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb.6, 1959 R O m m N I GYO OBATA ATTORNEYS Oct. 3, 1961 G. OBATA 3,002,233

AUDITORIUM STRUCTURES Filed Feb 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. GYO OBATA 00% dad.

\ ATTORNEYS 3,%Z,Z33 Patented st. 3, 1961 earn The present inventionrelates to buildings generally has particular reference to improvementsin auditorium structures.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improvedarchitectural plan for an auditorium, and more specifically, to providean improved plan for using an area of a building either as a largesingle auditorium or as a pair of separate auditoriums or assemblychambers.

An important objective is achieved in an architectural plan or designfor an auditorium which may be readily enlarged to have more than twiceits normal seating capacity and wherein the seats in the incrementalportion of the enlarged auditorium correspond with and have the samerelative locations and distances from the stage or pulpit as those inthe normal or nnexpanded form.

An important objective is to provide an improved do sign and arrangementof chambers which may be unified by removing a movable partition wallthat normally separates them, to the end that the chambers in both theirseparate and combined forms serve exceptionally well the purposes of anexpanded auditorium and, in both forms, embody all of the essentials ofgood architecture.

The design of the present invention may be used to ad vantage forassembly rooms used for social, recreational, educational or religiouspurposes. It has particular application to the design oi the principalassembly areas in religious buildings or such as may require anauditorium which is quite adequate without being undesirably large fornormal or average uses, and which, for special occasions, can be readilyexpanded to provide more than twice the normal seating capacit in thearchitecture of religious structures plans for ex pending the sanctuaryor nave by annexing an adjacent room are known and used. Former plansand designs however, are not completely satisfactory, chiefly becausethe enlargement results in a make-shift chamber lacking architecturalintegrity and being poorly suited for religious worship. In many suchplans the distancesbetween pulpit and portions of the expanded nave aretoo great and sight lines to the principal focal point are poor. Animportant object of the present invention is' to provide anarchitectural plan which eliminates those faults.

The foregoing objects and advantages are achieved by the novel use ofthe hexagon as the basic plan shape for both the individual and for theunified or enlarged auditorium areas.

in the accompanying drawing,

P16. 1 is a plan view showing the design of areas and arrangement offacilities in the provision of two separate, independent auditoriums;and

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the space and facilities arranged toform a large single auditorium.

in the drawings, numerals 1 and 2 designate adjoining areas or chambersin a building structure, which chambers may constitute respectively thenave or sanctuary, and an auditorium or social hall of a religiousbuilding, for which the present invention is believed to be especiallyapplicable. The chambers 1 and 2 comprise complementary portions of alarge elongate room covered by a unitary, continuous roof or ceiling.Such room is enclosed and defined by six walls, including a pair ofparallel side walls 3 and 4, a pair of parallel, diagonally opposed endwalls 5 and 6, and a second pair of parallel, diagonally opposed endWalls '7 and S. in the optimum design the said end Walls extend atangles of degrees with respect to and are one-third the length of theside Walls, forming a hexagonal room of length which bears a fixed anddefinite relationship to its Width. This definite relationship resultsfrom the fact that the basic floor plan is derived from an arrangementof two regular hexagons placed point to point. In numerical terms thelength of the said room as measured along its longitudinal axis isapproximately 2.3 times the width, and the length of a side wall 3 or 4is 3 (or approximately 1.73) times the width of the room. Theseproportions conform to aesthetic requirements for a well-shaped room.

The room portions 1 and 2 are adapted to be separated from each other bya movable partition wall iii. Such wall member extends obliquely acrossthe room through the geometrical center thereof, in parallelism with theend walls 5 and 6. The partition wall thus intersects side wall 3 at thepoint designated 11, setting off the portion 12 identified with chamber2 and the portion 13 identified with chamber 1.. Similarly, the movablepartition Til intersects the opposite side wall 4 at the point 14separating the same into Wall portion 15 identified with chamber 2 andwall portion 16 identified with chamber 1. The geometry of the plan issuch that side wall portions 12 and id of rooms 1 and 2 respectively areequal in length to each other and to the end walls 6 and 8, and 5 and 7.Each thereof is one-hali as long as the side wall portions 13 and 15. Itwill also appear that the side wall portions 13 and 15 are each equal inlength to the movable partition wall lib.

The movable wall 19 may be of any suitable construction, for example, itmay consist of an integral rigid panel arranged to move vertically byhydraulic means (not shown) into and out of a suitable well formed inand extending downwardly from the floor of the room. Any other suitabletype of movable partition may be employed for the purpose.

The individual chambers l and 2 are essentially pentagonal in shape,each being symmetrical with respect to the diagonal axes indicated bylines designated in and 17 which bisect the acute corner angles atpoints 11 and 1 and pass through the midpoints l8 and 19 of the endWalls 7 and 8 respectively. Walls 7 and ti constitute the rear end partsof the individual chambers l and 2 and are spaced remotely from anddirectly face the stages 26 and 21 which occupy the corner portionsdefined between the movable wall 10 and the side wall portions 13 and15.

The stages 20 and 21 are truncated angular extremities as shown. Theyare located opposite each other, bisected by the transverse axis 42 ofthe combined space. The stages 24 and 2.1 are raised above the floorlevels of the chambers 1 and 2 and are bordered on all accessible sidesby series or": steps, indicated generally at 22 and 23. The forwardmargins 24 and 25 of the stages 2i? and 21 extend at right angles towhat may be considered to be the longitudinal axes 16 and 17 of theindividual chambers i and 2.. These forward stage portions thusdelineate the sixth sides of hexagonal floor plan of the nave or bodyportions of the individual chambers l and 2. Doorways in the side andend walls of the chambers are designated generaliy at as.

Chamber 1 is provided with seating means indicated generally at 3% Theseseats may be in the form of pews fixedly secured to the floor andarranged in rows on oppo site sides of a central aisle extending alongthe longitudinal axis 16 of that chamber. The stage or pulpit 26 isshown provided with one or more altars or lecterns 31 and a religious orother object indicated at 32 located at the prime focal point, in theline of the principal axis 16 of the chamber. Appropriateiy spacedbehind the ob generally triangular with jects 32 and pulpits 31 is aremovable screen or curtain :3 33 which serves as a back drop andappropriately conceals the sharp corner recess.

The principal permanent objects on the altar or stage may desirably bemounted on a rotatable section of the stage floor, indicated at 3'7.Such a provision facilitates the relocation of the objects on the altarto the positions thereof shown in FIG. 2, or even to a third setting notrepresented facing the end wall 6 of the chamber 2.

Chamber 2 is desirably equipped with movable seats 38 which may beremoved and stored to adapt the charrber for dance or other functions.Normally the seats in chamber 2 will be arranged in rows facing thefront 25 or" stage 21, in sections on opposite sides or" an aisleextending along the longitudinal axi 17, as shown in FIG. 1. A.removable curtain provides a back drop for con cealing the corner recessdirectly to the rear of stage 211. When the sanctuary and auditoriumareas 1 and 2 combined by removal of the partition wall 1b, as shown inFIG. 2, the movable seats 38 are desirably rearranged to face the pulpit20, in sections divided by an aisle 39 which, like the aisle at 1.6 inchamber 1, extends radially from the center of that pulpit or stage.

When the sanctuary is in the enlarged or unified form as shown in FIG.2, the pulpits 29 and 21 directly face each other, being symmetricallyarranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis 43. Pulpit orstage'Zi may be provided with removable seats 4-9, as shown in FIG. 2,further increasing the seating capacity of the enlarged chamber.

From the foregoing description the many advantages of the presentarchitectural plan will appear. By the simple operations of lowering orotherwise removing the mow able partition wall 10 and rearranging theseating in chamber 2 an auditorium is produced which will have more thantwice the seating capacity of either or" the component chambers 1 and 2.Most importantly, corresponding seats remain at the same relativedistances from the pulpit or stage in both the auditorium, and a closedirect View of the altar is had from all seats. In both forms thepulpits and the seats are symmetrically arranged Within chambers ofstrong architectural form.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a building structure, wall members arranged to form an elongatedhexagonal auditorium chamber, said wall members including a pair ofopposed parallel side Walls and two pairs of substantially three timeschamber, said stages being in opposed relation and located in the cornerareas between the partition wall and side Walls, and seats in eachsubchamber normally facing the stage therein, the seats in at least oneof said subchambers being movable so as to be arranged to face eitherone of said stages.

normal and enlarged forms of 2. In a building structure, an elongatehexagonal room comprising a pair of parallel side walls and two pairs ofend walls, each of said end walls being approximately one-third thelength of said side walls and extending at an angle of approximatelydegrees with respect thereto, a movable partition wall traversing thecenter of the room at angles of 120 degrees to said side walls, saidpartition wall dividing the room into two chambers of equal size andshape, a raised platform in each of said chambers, said platforms beinglocated in the corner portions formed respectively between each sidewall and said partition wall, said platform in plan having the generalshape of equilateral triangles, and seats in said chambers, the seats inat least one of said chambers being movable to face either one of saidplatforms.

3. In a building structure, an elongated hexagonal auditorium spacecomprising a pair of parallel side walls and two pairs of parallel endwalls, each of said end walls being approximately one-third the lengthof each or" said side walls, a removable partition extending through thecenter of said auditorium space, said partition dividing said space intotwo pentagonal subchambers of the same size and shape, and a fixedplatform in each or" said subchambers, said platforms being located inopposed, spaced relation to each other on the transverse medial axis ofsaid auditorium space and on opposite sides of said removable partition,fixed seats in one of said subchambers, facing the platform therein, andmovable seats in the other said subchamber adapted to be arranged toface either of said platforms.

extending parallel to said side walls, a movable partition wallextending obliquely from one side wall to the op posite side walldividing the said chamber into pentagonal subchambers of equal size andshape, a raised platform in the corner portion of each chamber, betweensaid movable partition Walls and one side Wall, said raised platformsbeing generally triangular in form and being arranged sym- ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

